This invention relates generally to the field of rail transportation, and more particularly to monitoring and reporting of the status of grade crossing warning equipment.
Railroad systems include wayside equipment such as switches, signals, and vehicle detectors including hot wheel detectors, dragging equipment detectors, high/wide load detectors, vehicle identification systems, etc. Such equipment must necessarily be located throughout the railroad system, and is thus geographically dispersed and often located at places that are difficult to access. Systems are currently in use for communicating operational and status information relating to the condition of the train or the track to control centers through various types of modems. For example, position indicators are provided on switches and a signal responsive to the position of a switch is communicated to a control center for that section of track.
Grade crossings where streets and railroad tracks intersect are notorious for collisions between roadway and rail vehicles. Various types of warning systems are used to alert pedestrians and roadway vehicle operators to the presence of an oncoming train. Passive warning systems include signs and markings on the roadway that indicate the location of the crossing. Active warning systems include the audible signal from a locomotive horn and various types of wayside warning devices. Grade crossing warning devices are activated by an approaching train and may include visual and audible alarms as well as physical barriers. A typical crossing in an urban area may include signs painted onto the roadway and/or erected at the crossing and a fully automatic gate with lights and bells for blocking all lanes of roadway traffic.
Grade crossing warning systems are subject to normal equipment reliability concerns. The proper operation of such equipment is important to the safe and reliable operation of the railroad. In order to reduce the probability of equipment failures, routine maintenance and inspections are performed on grade crossing warning equipment. An inspector will visit the site of each crossing periodically to inspect the equipment and to confirm its proper operation. Unexpected failures may occur in spite of such efforts, and such failures may remain undetected for a period of time.
Due to the limited field of view from a locomotive and the great inertia of a moving train, it is not possible to rely on a train operator to stop a train in the event that there is an object blocking the track at a grade crossing. Thus it is vitally important to ensure that the grade crossing equipment is operating properly. While the periodic inspection and maintenance program described above does provide a high degree of assurance, efforts continue to further improve the reliability of grade crossing warning equipment and to further facilitate the detection of equipment failures when they do occur. U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,044 describes one such system for communication between a train and the grade crossing protection equipment to ensure that the protection equipment receives a signal that the train is approaching. This system will automatically apply the brakes of the train in the event that communication between the train and the grade crossing equipment is not confirmed. However, even if the crossing equipment does receive a train-approaching signal, there may be a failure that prevents the warning equipment from providing a proper alert to the roadway users. Such failure may remain undetected until the date of the next periodic inspection.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,322 describes an automated crossing warning system that eliminates the need for the sounding of the locomotive horn. This system provides a horn warning to roadway vehicle operators from horns located at the crossing and specifically oriented toward the roadway, thereby reducing the disturbance to local residents. A horn detector is provided to operate a strobe light visible from the approaching train when the horn is operating above a predetermined decibel level. In the event that the strobe light is not flashing, the engineer of the locomotive will sound the locomotive horn to provide a warning of the approaching train. However, this system does not provide a mechanism for the reporting of such failures. In this system, the train operators will continue to operate their respective locomotive horns until the failure is repaired during the next periodic inspection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,283 describes a system and method for communicating operational status of train and track detecting wayside equipment to a locomotive cab. This system is directed to the reduction of radio congestion in the VHF radio system used to communicate between the wayside equipment and the locomotive. This system is described as being used for monitoring or reporting the status of grade crossing warning systems.
Thus, a system for remote monitoring and reporting of the readiness status of railroad grade crossing warning equipment is desired.
An apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment is described herein as including: circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train; a sensor for generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator; circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and a communications link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing. The annunciator may be a sound-producing device, and the sensor may be an accelerometer. The apparatus may further include: a mounting bracket attached to the sound producing device; a circuit board attached to the mounting bracket and including circuitry for operating the sound producing device; the accelerometer being attached to the circuit board; signal processing circuitry associated with the accelerometer mounted on the circuit board; and a mounting device for attaching the mounting bracket to a support and for providing isolation at frequencies equal to or greater than a center frequency of sound produced by the sound producing device. The apparatus may further include: a database for receiving and storing the information; and a data processor associated with the database for processing the information.
An apparatus for monitoring a railroad grade crossing warning bell is described herein as including: an accelerometer mechanically coupled to a railroad crossing warning bell for receiving mechanical vibrations produced by the bell and for producing a signal responsive to the vibrations; and a controller for receiving the signal and for developing information regarding an operating status of the bell.
A method of monitoring railway grade crossing warning equipment is described herein as including: installing a sensor at a grade crossing location proximate a grade crossing warning annunciator, the sensor adapted to produce a sensor signal responsive to operation of the annunciator; processing the sensor signal to produce information responsive to an operating status of the annunciator; and transmitting the information to a location remote from the grade crossing location. The information may be communicated via a multi-media communication network.